Upcoming Student Senate legislation prompted two senators to meet with campus community members to discuss concerns about bicycles on campus.
Sen. Meghan Hanna and Sen. Andrew Remson, both representatives of the University College Center for Advising and Counseling, are two authors of a recent Senate resolution to place additional signs forbidding bicycles within the Quad.
According to the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation, bicycles are neither to be ridden on sidewalks nor in the Quad.
The original resolution was scrapped, and the meeting concluded with the drafting of new legislation aiming to increase the number of signs and eventually remove bicycle racks from the Quad. The new concurrent resolution will also propose a campaign to increase awareness among students about bicycling and transportation.
Moshe Cohen, mathematics graduate student, said the best way to encourage cyclists to avoid the Quad is to provide them with routes and racks outside the restricted area.
Currently, there are multiple bicycle racks in the Quad.
Mark Martin, associate librarian at Hill Memorial Library and member of Baton Rouge Advocates for Safe Streets, said the appropriate rules were already in place, but they need to be enforced. He said for these rules to be effective, human behavior ought to be taken into account.
Martin said part of the problem stems from the increased number of cyclists. Rising gas prices and changes brought by the Easy Streets campaign are causing more students to ride bicycles. Martin suggested these new riders may not be aware of the laws and regulations which apply to them.
“This is probably the result of more people riding bikes but not knowing how to ride bikes,” Martin said.
Reducing the number of bicycles in the Quad is only part of a the broader agenda to increase safety for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists on campus.
Cohen said the ultimate goal is “to allow every student equal transportation access” – whether by foot, bicycle or automobile.
“Pedestrians are angry because bikes are on the sidewalks. Motorists are angry because bikes are on the streets,” Cohen said. “Bikes are supposed to be on the streets. How do you solve that problem?”
Remson said he hopes the legislation can be brought up for floor consideration at Wednesday’s Senate meeting, with the goal of approving the legislation before Bike Week, which begins Oct. 26.
—–Contact Daniel McBride [email protected]